Akwesasne Mohawk School Cornwall Island, Ontario
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COMMISSION ROYALE SUR ROYAL COMMISSION ON LES PEUPLES AUTOCHTONES ABORIGINAL PEOPLES LOCATION/ENDROIT: AKWESASNE MOHAWK SCHOOL CORNWALL ISLAND, ONTARIO DATE: MONDAY, MAY 3, 1993 VOLUME: 1 "for the record..." STENOTRAN 1376 Kilborn Ave. Ottawa 521-0703 i TABLE OF CONTENTS Akwesasne Mohawk School Cornwall Island, Ontario May 3, 1993 NAME PAGE Opening Prayer 2 Introduction of the Iroquois Confederacy 5 by Grand Chief Mike Mitchell Iroquois Confederacy: Wampum Belt Reading 69 by Oren Lyons StenoTran 1 1 2 Akwesasne, Cornwall Island, Ontario 3 --- Upon commencing at 9:40 a.m. on Monday, 4 May 3, 1993 5 FACILITATOR ALMA RANSOM: Today is a 6 wonderful day for Kanienkahaka and people of Akwesasne. 7 We are so honoured today, Mohawks of Akwesasne, to welcome 8 such distinguished guests. 9 We have the inquiry that is here in the 10 area, the Royal Commission. I will introduce the people 11 to my right very shortly. 12 As you see, the Wampum Belts are here. 13 That's probably the greatest honour we've had in this 14 school and our nation, to have them read before the Royal 15 Commission. We have a very distinguished guest here to 16 read them, Jake Thomas, who was a professor at Trent 17 University for quite a while. He did us a lot of good. 18 Our people were promoted and promoted, our cause was 19 promoted through the teachings of Jake Thomas. 20 We have many other distinguished guests 21 here. We also have a representative of Kahnawake here, 22 Billy Two Rivers, that you know, and our own Head Chief, 23 Mike Mitchell, who will be giving the opening in a little StenoTran 2 May 3, 1993 Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples 1 while. 2 Jake Thomas, who is now on the Board of 3 Governors for McMaster University. He is retired from 4 Trent. He comes with an extensive background on Native 5 studies. He also needs no introduction as far as (Native 6 language). This is a great day for Kanyagahaga (PH) in 7 this room. 8 I will be introducing the people on my 9 right. I'll have to read, because their credentials are 10 extensive, and they're really, really impressive. 11 Like all activities that we have, like 12 (Native language), we have Ernie Benedict here, who will 13 introduce a youth that he knows will be able to say with 14 distinction our prayer. (Native language). 15 ERNIE BENEDICT: The opening will be 16 given by (Native language). 17 (Opening prayer) 18 ERNIE BENEDICT: My young friend 19 (Native language) has asked us all to give thanks first 20 for our Mother Earth, and has invited all of us to unite 21 our minds together to give thanks to our Mother Earth. 22 Then he asked that we all remember that 23 there waters on the earth that quench our thirst, and he StenoTran 3 May 3, 1993 Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples 1 invited us all to give thanks for the waters that quench 2 our thirst. 3 Then there are the grasses that grow upon 4 the Earth, and he has asked us to reunite our minds together 5 to give thanks for the grasses upon the Earth. 6 There are also the foods that have grown, 7 (Native language), those that have been planted. Those 8 are the foods that support our bodies, and he has asked 9 us to unite our minds to give thanks for the foods upon 10 the Earth. 11 Then there are the animal creatures. 12 He has asked us to reunite our minds together as one to 13 give thanks for the animal creatures. Also, for the great 14 forests in which those animals we live we give thanks for 15 the forest. 16 We also give thanks for the birds that 17 fly over our heads. He also has asked us to bring our 18 minds together as one to give thanks for the birds over 19 our heads. 20 Also, there is the great day sun who is 21 shining upon us now, and he has asked us to give thanks 22 for the day sun. 23 Also, there is the night that has the StenoTran 4 May 3, 1993 Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples 1 moon and who is our grandmother, and he has asked us to 2 unite our minds together to be thankful for our Mother 3 the Moon. 4 Then he has asked us also to give thanks 5 for the stars and also upon the Earth. He said that there 6 are four spiritual beings that guide us every day, help 7 us, and he has asked us to give thanks for them. 8 Then there is the thunderers that have 9 visited us very recently, and he has asked us to give thanks 10 for the thunderers, for they bring the rain. 11 Then he has asked us all to unite our 12 minds together, especially for the Creator of all things, 13 for he has caused all these things to be. When we unite 14 our minds together to give thanks to the Creator, then 15 the meeting may officially be opened. 16 Donnato (PH). I thank you. 17 FACILITATOR ALMA RANSOM: We'll take a 18 few minutes to allow the classes that are returning to 19 go back, then we'll continue. (Native language). Thank 20 you. 21 --- (A short pause) 22 FACILITATOR ALMA RANSOM: We'd like to 23 go on at this time. I am very honoured to be here for StenoTran 5 May 3, 1993 Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples 1 this unbelievable occasion. 2 I have seen so many changes, and I would 3 especially like to see more changes come for our people 4 as a result of the Royal Commission. I especially hope 5 that their recommendations are taken by -- it would be 6 a tragic loss to have these people go through all this 7 legwork and have their recommendations not listened to, 8 and life would go on as it's always gone. 9 It is our hope that you can find words 10 in your heart to tell the people that are capable of making 11 changes for us to be able to go on and make better. There 12 are some things that will never heal -- some things will 13 not change as much -- but to make some change that will 14 be positive. 15 At this time I'm honoured to turn over 16 the mike to the Grand Chief, Mike Mitchell, who should 17 have been here right along in the first place. 18 I give you Mike at this time. 19 GRAND CHIEF MIKE MITCHELL: Walla (PH). 20 I would like to welcome the Commission 21 Members to Akwesasne, and all our other brothers and 22 sisters from other communities. 23 When we all heard about the format and StenoTran 6 May 3, 1993 Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples 1 the purpose and the objectives of the Royal Commission, 2 we wanted to have the opportunity to have our Elders and 3 our Leaders from the traditional communities come forward. 4 If this is to be an education exercise 5 that's going both ways, then it's not your laws and your 6 ways that we can try to get educated on, how we don't fit 7 or cannot cope with your laws. 8 We would like to have the opportunity 9 where we can tell you of our laws, what self-government 10 was like before the arrival of the European, how did the 11 people function. We would like to tell you about the 12 Haudenosaunee. 13 It is not my place to be here as the 14 elected leader of Akwesasne and say this is what we want 15 to show you, or share with you, with the Indian Act and 16 the Constitution, and Canadian laws in general. 17 I grew up as a traditional person, and 18 I know that at this time it is very important that we come 19 forward and stress our traditional law, our traditional 20 history, to share with the people who have influence, who 21 are able to make the kind of recommendations that maybe 22 once again people can understand, the type of 23 self-government and the type of laws, the type of society StenoTran 7 May 3, 1993 Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples 1 that our people lived in, and how it came to us. 2 We have brought Wampum Belts to read 3 today, and I would like to tell you that these are replicas 4 of the originals. The Belts that remain in Six Nations, 5 in Grand River, and in Onondaga near Syracuse, New York. 6 Some of the Wampum Belts are over 1,000 years and are 7 very fragile. They are brought out for ceremonies and 8 for readings for our people. 9 So they give us an opportunity to bring 10 something that we can touch, that you can handle, that 11 we can look at, that we can lift, and it would serve the 12 same purpose. 13 I would like to introduce the next 14 speaker from Grand River Territory, a condoled chief of 15 the Cayuga Nation. I know when you have what you call 16 simultaneous translation I always thought that was a big 17 deal, to be able to speak in English and somebody over 18 there translates to French right away, so who speak that 19 language can almost immediately understand.